10 Early Predictions For WWE WrestleMania 34

2. AJ Styles Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - WWE Heavyweight Title Match

Reigns Lesnar
New Japan Pro Wrestling

How does WWE perceive Shinsuke Nakamura?

Dolph Ziggler ran him down as a Michael Jackson clone on Tuesday's SmackDown, which suggested that he is seen superficially by a company unable to appreciate or grasp the nuances of his act; his entrance appeals were buried as something silly by Ziggler in a cringeworthy promo. Conversely, he has been positioned in John Cena's temporarily vacated role as dark match headliner. WWE sees something in him, even if Ziggler's brutal promo was everybody's manifested fear of his main roster presentation.

The Undertaker's downturn in form and subsequent retirement has left a vacancy open for a bonafide classic match at WrestleMania - something crucial to the show's grand mythos. AJ Styles Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura is the absolute best match WWE could present - and a simplistic title quest story would negate the need for the awful lowbrow comedy we've been subject to thus far.

Their match at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom X was stunning - near the pinnacle of the ultra athletic, reversal-stuffed modern day NJPW vintage, underpinned with the absorbing heel storytelling of AJ's feigned back injury - and while a WWE match would be markedly different, both have adapted seamlessly to the broader landscape.

It's guaranteed to be a classic, but the probability hinges on a concrete answer to a probing question.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!